One Entry: Diary of the Last Straw
by ReddAlice
Summary: An unhealthy obsession leads to the discovery of a shocking crime over coffee and REAL sugar. -Complete-


One Entry**: _Diary of the Last straw_ **_By ReddAlice_

**Author's Note**: I am literally obsessed with writing; I just can't stop when I get going, and it makes me horrifically giddy. I especially write well when I am sleep deprived, one can really tell the difference between rested Alice and the _real_ ReddAlice. ^-^ I hope to hear from everyone who reads this before this slips into the black abyss that is the archive of FF.net.

**Warning**: o.0 I bite? Truly, nothing overtly note-worthy; however, I kinda bash Quatre into a cliché mode for my own amusement. I don't usually do that, but hey...We all must give a little sometimes?

**Disclaimer**: Shin Kidousenki New Mobile War Chronicle Gundam Wing A.C. was created by Hajime Yatate & Yoshiyuki Tomino and is licensed to Bandai Entertainment, Sunrise, and Satsu Agency. ~-~...If you think I own any of the prior listed... A psychiatrist and straightjacket is complimentary on your way out. May you get the help needed, and pray it's not genetic.

**Net Description**: An unhealthy obsession leads to the discovery of a shocking crime over coffee. -Complete- 

**Music**: Turning Japanese - NOFX 

How the crumpled page had come to reside in Heero's hand was a mystery to even him. Why had he been searching through his ex's trash to begin with? _Well_, to start with, he was in denial of how much he still loved that braided idiot, and was looking for any clues as to what he could do to shoot his blonde rival out of the picture and win back Duo. They were fated to be together. 

It was misunderstood that when he was plummeting to his much desired death all those years ago, that he _had_ his eye opening epiphany over a certain blonde and former classmate, but really his sudden urge to land alive was truly because Duo had called out to him, and it all had been a delayed reaction that just so happened to coincide with Relena's screaming. Imagine that.

Not that he hated her highness; he just loved the pilot of Death Scythe.

As he sifted through all sorts of recyclables, he had already decided on five excuses depending on circumstance should he be caught, but instead he came upon a crumpled blue page. 

Heero unfolded the article the way the chocolate bar in_ Charlie and the chocolate factory_ had been revealed, only to realize that he found gold within the wrapper. The disfigured document was none other than a page from Duo's coveted leather bound diary that he had started to keep after the war under the belligerent encouragement of Sally Poe. 

It was dated a week ago. 

As inconspicuously as one can be after marauding a trashcan, Heero folded the paper up and slipped it into his coat pocket. 

Lunch was never particularly exciting without Duo's presence, and it was loathsomely boring when the particular eating ritual took place in the overly ornate ordained lunchroom.

What was a man to do? Flagrantly eavesdrop of course.

Heero inclined his head slightly to catch the end of a conversation between Trowa and Wufei. They had been debating Quatre's whereabouts for an hour. Trowa trying hard to appear merely concerned over the blonde's work share becoming his oppose to an obsessed ex-boyfriend who had chased the young man right into the arms of Heero's ex. They both failed miserably at relationships, of course that was better than being single, celibate, and miserable. Heero mentally leered at Wufei.

"You know what? He probably scared him off, and Quatre is out at some beach relaxing and recuperating from the trauma that is Duo Maxwell." Wufei said dismissing Trowa with a shrug, and looking back down at his Russian novel. "I'm not paid enough to baby-sit ex-pilots. Had I know you guys would be this difficult to be associated with I would have become mortician."

Trowa furrowed his brow unsure if he was worried sick or just irritated from lack of sleep; being human was hard after all. "My services were not enlisted so I could do paperwork, Quatre volunteered for that. We need to find him before I start eating internal official documents and burning classified case files."

Wufei quirked his head, "If I didn't know better…" he trailed, "I would think you were anxious about your ex-boyfriend mysterious location." Couldn't he just say jealous? Trowa glared atypically, seething in his wretchedness. "Why don't you give up and go talk to Duo." Wufei resolved.

Following the moment Duo's name was spoken, said man walked in, looking pleasantly provocative in Heero's eyes. His hair was freshly washed and secured back by a red band in an aberrant ponytail, a tight fitting shirt adoring his finely shaped chest, and a pair of dark loose jeans hanging low on his hips. "How's it goin'?" He beamed, his well-rested eyes twinkling dangerously.

Trowa opened his mouth, shut it slightly, and decided on speaking firmly. "Everything is well." _Well_? Well, that was Mr. Barton for you, only bluntly honest when you are waking up from a coma after trying to blow yourself up.

Duo nodded, and poured himself a cup of coffee, lavishing the rich liquid with an abundance of sugar and a spoon full of cream, a liquid candy worthy of a God. Heero watched him drain the mug, and wash it in the sink with a thoughtful haze about his face. 

Following suite, Trowa drank the remainder of his coffee and trailed after Duo to the door. "Duo, may I ask you a question?"

"_Sure_." Duo said stopping and hooking his thumbs into the belt loops of his pants. 

The battle in Trowa's head was all _but_ perceptible on his face, however Heero related with it begrudgingly. It was none of Trowa's business anymore, and to ask about Quatre would be assuming too much, and prodding. Questioning Duo as if he took part in Quatre's sudden and unexpected disappearance would be admitting he was jealous, and that alone was enough to spark one-sided animosity. Being in denial is a way of coping!

Up till the past few days, both Heero and Trowa had been able to go about their normal routines alongside their ex-lovers without any awkwardness. Quatre left Trowa for Duo; Duo in turn dumped Heero, both separations on good terms. Shortly after, Duo and Quatre moved in together, and that was three months ago.

The concern of a man in love won, and Trowa advanced with the interrogation under the simple guise of curiosity, as practiced. "How have you been?"

"G_oo_d…" Duo said with a delayed rise of his voice, a suspicious proverbial question mark failing to materialize above his head.

Miffed, Wufei stood up, making a show of closing his novel in hand and scowling at Trowa. "_Duo_."

Duo looked over to Wufei. "Yeah?"

"Where did you hide Quatre? Just tell Trowa before he busts a nerve, or has an aneurysm born of pure fixation and fret. Did you fold him away and put him in the cupboard? Or maybe you sold him on the black market." -Heero was obviously not the only one suffering from sleep deprivation, Wufei was off his rocker, or just really peeved- "Perhaps you suffocated him in his sleep, burned his remains, and scattered them in space?" With that, Wufei made his exit, letting the door swing shut behind him.

Duo was starring intensely at nothing particular, his face so pale and riddled with angst a nudge might cause him to break. 

Slowly, Heero turn his full attention to Duo, examining the stress displayed in his panicked eyes. "That was Wufei's pathetic attempt at a repartee." He said cautiously.

"I _know_, I know." Duo said quickly, waving his hand facetiously, "I was just thrown off by his _sudden_…"

"_Outburst_?" Heero supplied.

Duo nodded, and fixed his interest back on Trowa. "Is that what you wanted to know?"

"_Yes_." Trowa said honestly.

Duo nodded again in a sign that he was not offended by the question, "We had a fight." He stated plainly, his voice detached. "He left, and I don't know where he went."

Trowa's gaze fell with his heart, "_Oh_." From the stands, Heero observed in silence each idiom and gesture exchanged.  

"Yeah." Duo confirmed, opening the door. "Hey, talk to you all later." He piped loudly, washing away the moment with a grin. 

Both Trowa and Heero stared at the door for a long five minutes, before Trowa left Heero alone to his thoughts and the paper in his pocket. 

Carefully Heero turned away from the door to conceal his treasure from possible intrusion, and unfolded the page and pressed it flat on the round table he sat by. Heero had expected free style print, with sharp edged letters like Duo normally used, but the handwriting was impossibly small, and oddly elegant, with fine swoops and curves in black pen. Coffee stained the page in drips.

08 - 9 - 201 

_Quatre's been keeping me up at night, he likes to cuddle, however he never just backs off and lets me sleep. I'm really exhausted. Haha, if I suffocated him in his sleep, then maybe I can finally go to work on NOT looking like I'm an insomniac._

08 - 10 - 201 

_The oh-so exalted Sally Poe says I should try writing from an annalistic point of view. I should examine my relationship from its foundation to the surface. I think scrutinizing is the key to destruction, because sometimes it's just good to be ignorant of flaws. _

_Lets start with sex._

_Sex is a good thing when done with passion and skill, that would make Quatre a master, and I relish in being his student. When I first got with him, I was under the impression I would be the teacher, but how dumb was I? I should have known! It's always the cute and sweet ones!_

Heero looked away from the paper, and closed his eyes to see his thoughts, he felt like such a pervert; however, gravity hauled his eyes back to the writing.

_08 - 11 - 201_

_Gimme a sec, I need some coffee or I'm going to pass out and drool on you._

All right! Where does he get off replacing my sugar with sweet and low? Who the hell drinks COFFEE with sweet and low!?!?! Not me! Not in my house! Nu uh, no fucking way! 

_You know what? He's been swapping this in my place since he got here. I didn't mind my jacket, my shampoo, and conditioner, shaving cream, or even my toothpaste. But my Coffee is sacred; it's mine, and only mine. Heero would never do that to me, I'm such an idiot._

_08 - 12 - 201_

_"Quatre, I can't take this anymore! We are not living in a depression, sugar is not hard to come by, and I want some."_

_"Duo, it's preserving good times. Sugar isn't good for you."_

_"If this is an example of good times, and sugar celibacy. I'm moving in with Heero! Die good times, die."_

Heero found him-self frowning, was he that miserable to be around?

_Bitterly I poured like...six packets of that wanna-be sugar, and I know I am going to gag. I put my finger in a pack to taste it, just so I was sure it tasted bad, and it was worse. _

Why would you do something if you knew it would be gross?

_DECAF!!!!  DECAF!!! DECAF!!!! WHERE'S MY COFFEE, I HATE HIM!_

That was the end of that entry, but there more at the bottom of the page. One simple line. 

08 - 13 -201

_I did it._

That was the end of Duo's inner monologue captured in coffee ran ink. Heero could only imagine what had happened.

"What are you-…" Heero hadn't heard Duo come in, but Duo had seen enough by the time Heero scrambled to put away the blue evidence. "Where did you get that? I threw that page away-..._Man_, _Heero_." 

Piece by piece things fit together, the page, the reaction to Wufei, and the disturbance now prevalent in his pale face. "Duo, what did you do?" Another good question would have been if Duo had really done as Wufei and mock-accused.

Duo shrugged.

"Is Quatre okay?"

Duo adverted his eyes.

"Why?"

Duo sighed and narrowed his gaze a bit in thought, "I just couldn't take it anymore, and I just... I was tired, and I just snapped." He eyed Heero, and then asked, "What are you going to do about it?

"Why did you come back here?"

Duo frowned theatrically, "I wanted to know if you wanted to go out for coffee with me, take an extended break, you know...out..." 

After what he had done, Duo wanted to go out on a date. 

Audaciously Duo pursued his question, "What are you going to do?"

"Are you confessing to something, Duo?"

Duo stayed wisely silent, staring attentively at Heero with trusting eyes. 

"Are you, Duo?"

"Heero… Would it matter to you if I did." It wasn't a question.

Heero had wanted to mow down the blonde after all, and never had a particular fondness for him. Wasn't this too far though?

Inconveniently, Trowa reentered the room clutching a newspaper, and sat across from Heero, his eyes set on Duo.

Duo tore his gaze away from Heero's and walked back to get his mug from the wrack where he had hung it earlier.

Trowa leaned in close to Heero, "Did he say anything?" He murmured audibly. 

Out of the corner of his vision, Heero saw Duo go rigid, his body frozen holding the coffee pot above his cup. 

"They had a stupid fight over coffee, and he left." Heero nodded to himself, unsure of what he was doing, but positive he wanted to protect Duo, even from himself.

The pouring continued, and Duo dispensed a hefty amount graduated sugar into his hot drink, followed by one spoon of cream.  

Heero stood up, and stretched, it felt good to be physically removed from your thoughts. "Duo lets go get coffee." Duo turned around with a broad smile, his eyes clear and indebted.

"Bye." Trowa said looking forlorn.

"Later, Trow." Duo walked up behind Heero, and discreetly slipped his hand into Heero's. In returned, Heero tightened his grip and led his convict out the door for some real sugar.

**END**

**Author's Note**: Tacky, tacky I know, but I don't think I put enough emphasis on what people really in love will do for one another. So I am pleased for a fic I wrote in two hours. ^-^ No sleep, no coffee...and inspired by the fact my mom stopped buying sugar. I went to get coffee...all we had was repulsive sweet and low, I stuck my finger in it and it tasted… gross. ^-^ I hope to hear from you all, and thank you for reading my one shot.

** Every few weeks I choose an older story, revise it, and then repost it to get it circulating again. ^-~ Feel free to check out my other stories…. www.fanfiction.net/~reddalice ;. Any and all comments are welcomed, I cannot tell you how much I appreciate your help!


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